Kak Ani Nasi Kukus Ayam Berempah @ Kampong Pandan

The Movement Control Order (MCO), be it during the conditional or (now) recovery phase, has made many of us order food via delivery probably more often than we used to do.

In fact, I hardly order food delivery prior to the MCO, preferring to dine out as I like to eat my food piping hot when it is served (in fact, one of my neighbours insists that his wife reheats the soup noodles even right after he returns from tapau-ing...haha, that's a bit extreme, don't you think?).  But the recent pandemic has changed all that and food delivery is here to stay...and will get even more popular under the new normal.

A recent one I tried was Kak Ani Nasi Kukus Ayam Berempah after reading good reviews on foodpanda (an average rating of 4.6/5).  During my first order, the packaging came in a simple paper packet and plastic bag but our later orders came in plastic boxes.  I prefer the simple paper packaging (with banana leaves) which made eating out of it directly more convenient.

My first taste test was the Nasi Kukus Ayam Berempah Kak Ani @ RM9.50, of course, as their name suggests. It comes with nasi kukus, ayam goreng berempah, kuah kari and sambal belacan.

The ayam goreng berempah (spiced fried chicken) had decent flavours but (unfortunately) I didn't get my favourite part but got the more bony section of the wing instead which was also attached to the chicken breast, so the meat was a little on the dry side.  I believe my experience would probably have been different if I had gotten the leg portion (or eaten onsite when it's freshly fried).

I read some of the comments left behind by their customers and some said they always get the wing part.  So I guess that part was true as I got that too (and no, there was no prompt to select the part you want during the order process).  Now I wonder if they ever give out the drumstick portion...lol!  I guess I will know the answer to that when I order ayam a few more times.  Why, delivery orders don't get the best parts, is it? >_<

Of course, no ayam goreng berempah dish is complete without a scoop of the fried rempah (spices, especially the fragrant smell and taste of lemongrass predominantly) that have detached itself from the marinated chicken into the bottom of the wok during the frying process.  Ahh, those savoury remnants, leave none behind...that's where all the flavour is! ;)

The kuah kari (curry sauce) was a standout amongst the nasi kukus I've tried so far.  The flavour was good + it also came with a few pieces of adequately soft potato cubes which most of the other curries (with nasi kukus) do not. Actually, when I first poured out the curry, I didn't realise that there were potato cubes underneath.  The fresh sambal belacan (chilli paste), spicy as usual, was pretty similar in taste to all the ones that come with nasi kukus that I've had before.

The nasi kukus (steamed rice) was, of course, on the mushy side as most, if not all, nasi kukus is as the cooked rice needs to be compacted into a metal mould and left in a steamer (to keep warm)...and you can only do that with fairly mushy rice which facilitates compressing into a mould.  Mix all that fried rempah, kuah kari and sambal belacan into the rice for a flavourful mouthful.

Next, I tried their Keli Cili Tumbuk Kak Ani @ RM9.50 which is basically a whole ikan keli with their special cili tumbuk, kuah kari and nasi kukus.  You can also savour the cili tumbuk with chicken if fish is not your thing.

The fried ikan keli (catfish) had flavour as it was not plain fried but marinated first (probably with turmeric due to its orange tinge) before frying.  I actually like to eat this fish coz I find the flesh sweet tasting although it isn't a highly popular fish (usually offered in Malay shops only) due to its perceived muddy taste.

That's why this fish is usually cooked with a sambal though I've never encountered muddy taste in all the ikan keli I've eaten so far.  This one was no different.

But it was the cili tumbuk, a cooked chilli paste, that elevated the taste of this ikan keli.  They call this cili tumbuk (literally translated as pounded chillies because of its coarser texture which is unlike a finer, chilli paste that has been blended).  Not sure if it's really pounded by hand though since they would have a lot to pound...lol!

This cili tumbuk was quite spicy but also very good (just look at that awesome darkly-coloured chilli that have been tumis sampai kering (well sauteed until dry).  There were comments on foodpanda that the cili tumbuk wasn't quite enough but it was more than enough for me (incidentally, what's shown here wasn't all of it).  You can also get this awesome cili tumbuk (if you can't get enough of it) at RM10 for a 110g portion.

There were also comments that the kuah kari wasn't enough.  This I have to agree as I finished the curry even though I didn't finish the rice.  I was tempted to as the rice tasted really good when I mixed the curry (this time there weren't any potato cubes) together with the cili tumbuk (but there was simply not enough curry to go round).

My last sampling from this eatery was their Masak Lemak Daging Salai Kak Ani @ RM15.50 that included daging salai masak lemak, ikan masin, ulam timun, sambal belacan and nasi kukus.

The daging salai (smoked/grilled beef) slices were just tender enough (there were bits of chewy sinew in some pieces though) in a gravy of creamy santan, bird's eye chillies and turmeric that was delicious but a little salty.

What I enjoyed even more than the good portion of grilled beef slices were the two chunky pieces of potato that was cooked perfectly, adequately soft without being mushy....I wanted more.

The generous tub of gravy was more than sufficient for the portion of rice.  The masak lemak cili api was only slightly spicy but a fresh sambal belacan is included to add more spiciness to the dish.

This rice dish came with a piece of very poor quality ikan masin (salted fish) which was overly salty and fishy in taste + I got the less sought-after upper body the part, so I discarded it.  Actually, the ikan masin is unnecessary as the masak lemak is already quite salty.

The description of ulam timun in the dish made me think I would be getting a mixture of fresh vegetables with timun (cucumber) but it ended up to be false advertising.  It turned out to be just a piece of ordinary cucumber. >.<

My Personal Opinion

All in all, memang sedap-lah (delicious indeed) this nasi kukus with different choices of lauk (chicken, fish or beef) available.  Besides the three dishes showcased above, the chicken also comes in the form of Ayam Cili Tumbuk Kak Ani or Ayam Sambal Serai Kak Ani.  Prices are reasonable starting from RM9.50 (for a choice of ayam and ikan) while the daging clocks in at RM15.50.

I enjoyed all three but the keli cili tumbuk is just ahead for its seriously addictive cili tumbuk.  I wouldn't mind ordering the masak lemak daging salai for its delicious masak lemak cili api gravy again either (my only wish is for the sauce to be a tad less salty).

If you're looking for a decent nasi kukus with various lauk, this is a worthy delivery option (dine-in prices will be cheaper, of course, RM7 for any of the ayam variants or ikan and RM10 for daging salai as per their Facebook page).  Nak cuba (want to try)? ^_~

Kak Ani Nasi Kukus Ayam Berempah

No 11 Jalan Hilir 2

Taman Sri Angsana Hilir

Kampong Pandan

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 011-1631 3615 

Yamaguchi Fish Market @ Kampung Pandan

My last visit to Yamaguchi Fish Market @ Kampung Pandan was more than a year ago...and I did say then that I may return to try live uni in a shell one day.  And that was exactly what I came for (last weekend) when I saw it offered at a price that was at least affordable to me.

We got there fairly early (around 6.30pm) but all the tables were already reserved with only the counter seats available.  I don't recommend the counter seats though as I was privy to the sometimes frantic food preparation in action.

It wasn't a case of looking at a calm sushi chef showcasing his mastery of sushi preparation but a case of seeing how long it took a chef to shuck an oyster or the collected dirty plates piling in the sink...haha! :D  For a Japanese restaurant, the place is rather dimly lit, which isn't great for photo taking, so please excuse the rather subdued photos.

The first thing that I ordered was the Live Uni @ RM88 served in its shell, of course.  It came sitting in a big bowl of ice with some green vegetation (which I reckon isn't for eating) just to make the uni look more worthy of its price? ;P

The five slices of uni in the shell may look big (coz I zoomed in) but don't be fooled by the photo as they were actually very tiny pieces.  Just look at the teaspoon at the top of the picture and you can gauge how small it was.  I once watched David Rocco's Dolce Vita where he travels off the coast of Naples to the island of Procida and dives for sea urchins.  Although they were smallish, the sea urchin roe had an amazingly vibrant orange colour, an indication as to just how fresh it was.  And all he needed was just a little of the fresh and rich roe to make a simple but delicious pasta dish.

To say I was disappointed with the taste would be putting it mildly....it didn't taste like the sea...in fact, it didn't taste good at all!  The uni sushi I had on my previous visit here tasted way way better.  I guess when something is offered at a cheap price, it can't be any good.  I should have known that there's no such thing as a cheap uni when one normally costs double the price! O_o  A cheap uni = a teeny-tiny uni = a not tasty uni!! Haiz, when something is too good to be true, it usually is! T_T

Disappointment aside, we also came because of the unagi promotion we saw posted by Gourmet Hunter KL. There are four dishes to choose from for this promotion...Unagi Train Sushi, Unagi Train Cheesy Sushi (RM36), Unagi Claypot Udon (RM46) and Steamed Unagi Rice with Egg.

And we knew exactly which two we wanted.  I wouldn't want a cheesy unagi nor have my unagi 'swimming' in a hot broth.  So, we started with the Unagi Train Sushi @ RM36, served on top a shorter 'train' of sushi rice.

We were very happy to see that it was a pretty long 'train'.  How long, you ask?  Well, I placed a Japanese wooden chopstick there for comparison purposes....and I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that the unagi was longer than the chopstick (probably about 9 inches)! ^_^

We were also extremely pleased with the taste of the unagi....sweet, caramelised, soft, tasty, perfect! ^.^

Our final unagi choice was the Steamed Unagi Rice with Egg @ RM46 that came served in a wooden box over a flame to keep the rice steaming hot while you eat.

Again, the portion of unagi was very substantial for the price paid.  Just look at it....and this was just half of the whole unagi! O_o

This is a fantastic deal indeed....for such quality and delicious tasting unagi.  We have no complaints whatsoever :)

Besides the lovely unagi, the steaming hot rice was also accompanied by a delightfully fluffy and appetising egg.  This was a dang good dish overall, one you won't regret ordering. ^o^

For more carbs, simply add on the Garlic Fried Rice @ RM10 which was scrumptious enough to please.

The Trio of Salmon @ RM45 featured a plate of freshness with salmon and salmon belly sashimi together with a small dish of salmon roe (ikura).

The three thick slices of salmon sashimi and two pieces of salmon belly met the freshness and taste test with flying colours.

The serving of ikura didn't fare as well though this time.  Although still bursting with juices, it wasn't quite bursting with saltiness like the last time we had it here.  We've had ikura lots of time elsewhere since but none could match the freshness and saltiness of the awesome one we had here...the first time.

Since the fresh juices here cost less than the green tea (RM12), we opted for the Orange Juice and Ice Honey Lemon, both at RM11.

If you have the cash to splash, you can splurge on some of these expensive premium seafood I saw in their tanks.  How about some Alaskan Snow Crabs for RM398 (for one?), Canadian Lobster for RM138/550g, French Crabs or American Oysters for RM78 (6 pcs)? O_o

My Personal Opinion

It would seem that the quality and freshness of some of their products (like uni and ikura) weren't as good as they once were or at least not as good as what I had before.  To think that I paid RM100 (after taxes) for a spoonful of crappy tasting uni was heartbreaking.

Luckily, the quality and taste of the unagi was very satisfying indeed...and so was the price as a generous portion like this can easily cost RM60 (or more) at other places.  The only blip was the less than stellar live uni (I must remember to never go for uni that seems insanely cheap!).

If unagi is a favourite of yours (as they were ours), don't miss this opportunity to sink your teeth into some good and very reasonably priced unagi.  You still have time to savour this as the promotion is available until the end of June.

Although this is a Japanese restaurant abundant with lots of very premium (and expensive) seafood, you can have a meal here (this time) that won't hurt your pocket too much if you stick to the unagi promotion and resist the temptation of the other menu offerings.  If you come away with eating just the unagi and nothing else, you'll still come away feeling very contented.

Yamaguchi Fish Market
No 16 Jalan Kampung Pandan
55000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9284 6686

Yamaguchi Fish Market @ Kampong Pandan

Ever since I've seen pics of the food in this place, Yamaguchi Fish Market @ Kampong Pandan, and the reviews from my favourite food blogs, I've been dying to try but the steep prices had been the one dominating factor that had always held me back.

Finally I thought...to heck with it....I've got to try it.....at least once! :D  Yamaguchi Fish Market shares the same premise as Caffeinees cafe with free and ample parking within its premises.  The concept is like a Japanese fish market where high quality and fresh seafood is brought in for the customers dine-in and purchase.  

That's why, upon walking in (through Caffeinees), you'd be greeted with tanks filled with the freshest possible live seasonal fish and seafood (crabs, scallops, sea urchin, prawns, oysters, etc.) awaiting guests dine-in pleasure or to be brought home at wholesale prices.

Overall, the restaurant is not that big as the tanks and sushi counter takes up more than half the space already.  Stepping in on a Saturday evening, I was surprised to find that most of the tables were reserved but we did manage to secure a table since we were early.

Glancing through the menu, you'd notice that it showcases a combination of Japanese and Chinese styles of seafood preparation.  However, we were disappointed that one of the Top 10 recommended dishes, the Yamaguchi Eel Rice @ RM38 wasn't available (we were planning to order that) and neither was their Salt Baked Tai Fish @ RM48 (not that we were planning to order that).

In the end, we went with the Yamaguchi Grilled Seasonal Seafood Platter @ RM116 (also one of their Top 10 dishes) for sharing.  It was filled with grilled pieces of king crab legs, scallops, prawns and red snapper fillet. The moment the dish hit the table, you get a whiff of that lovely smoky aroma.

The prawns were large, firm and fresh...especially loved that smoky flavour imparted in the shells.  Sucking the juices from the prawn heads were truly enjoyable and almost therapeutic...hehe! 

I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into the plump and juicy scallops which were beautifully grilled.  I ate one (the bigger one, oops) before realising I had not taken a photo of it.  So, here's the remaining scallop...plus one scallop shell! :D

The king crab legs had minimal and difficult to get at flesh but what they yielded was fresh and juicy-sweet meat.

I see some blogs referring to this fish fillet as Tai (sea bream) but our server told us it's snapper (don't know if he meant tai snapper or red snapper), so I'm not sure which is correct (or if they're even the same fish). Whatever it was, the snapper fillet was firm and flaky, delicate and sweet in taste.

Next was our order of Grilled Salmon Fillet @ RM28 which arrived looking like a western-style pan-fried salmon fillet with a side of salad.  I was certainly not expecting it to look like this.  In the menu, the pic of the grilled salmon was flanked by charcoal-grilled saba and Hokkaido squid, so I was expecting it to look...well, grilled.  This one looked out of place, more like something out of Caffeinees' kitchen! >.<

That aside, the pan-fried looking salmon was nice and fresh, just a bit overcooked and a tad dry as the centre wasn't as pinkish as we would have liked.  This was served with a fairly fiery green chilli padi dip which was rather odd (if it was served with something like our local "ikan panggang kembong" aka grilled Indian mackerel...that I would understand).

The side salad of lettuce, cucumber, yellow bell pepper, cherry tomatoes and mushroom was served with what looked like a mayo and whole grain mustard vinaigrette.  Although I hate mustard, this dressing I found to be somewhat tangy in flavour, so I liked it (then again, maybe whole grain mustard tastes a whole lot better than regular yellow mustard which taste like crap?).

As with more premium Japanese restaurants, one should always try their ultra fresh sashimi (a hallmark of their existence)...and I felt that my experience wouldn't be complete without doing so.  If you've been following my blog for a while, you'd noticed that I seldom feature sashimi in my posts even when dining at Japanese restaurants and that's because it's not my no. 1 most favourite thing to eat (although I do eat it...it's a "can-have" but not necessarily a "must-have" for me).

So, I went ahead and ordered the Sushi Mori @ RM78 featuring 8 pieces of assorted nigiri sushi. Unfortunately, the menu didn't detail the types of fresh fish sushi we'd be getting (probably because it depends on what's fresh and in season, so what we got was different from the pic in the menu).

We got these 8 pieces of assorted nigiri sushi instead....and I've no idea what some of them were due to my inexperience in (and infrequency of) eating sashimi + I didn't get to sample all of the sushi.

I read from sixthseal's blog that we're not supposed to share (for etiquette reasons) and that we're supposed to eat it in one bite (that I know and it's even acceptable, encouraged even to eat it with our hands)....hmmm, sorry but I don't live by those sushi standards or rules (even if that's the correct/best way to eat sushi)...kekeke...(actually, there're more rules but let's not get into that right now)!  We like to share our food....and I like to eat my sushi in two bites...and with chopsticks! :P

Coming back to the Sushi Mori, there were some obvious and easily recognisable sushi and one of them was the uni (sea urchin) sushi.  I've never had uni before and so I ate this one.  The uni was fresh and buttery still but probably not as supremely fresh as the live ones (of course).  The briny taste of the ocean, coupled with the richness, creamy texture and melt-in-the-mouth feel of the uni was everything I had hoped for (just like my first taste of foie gras).  I absolutely loved it...more please!

Luckily, there weren't any live uni available (the uni for this sushi came from a box), otherwise I'd be in two minds as to whether I'd be willing to fork out RM150 for one (although the server did offer uni sushi at RM100 for 5 pcs).  I think I'd rather save money for a live one ;)

Another instantly recognisable sushi was the ikura (salmon roe) sushi.  I've not had this before, so I couldn't help but stole a few salmon roe (two only, ok maybe three) from the sushi...kekeke....the burst of liquid and saltiness from the ikura in my mouth was amazing.

The other two easy to recognise sushi were the salmon belly and amaebi (sweet shrimp) sushi (the latter of which I was offered to eat)...tastes like the sea with a subtle sweet flavour and sticky on the palate.

Finally, it came down to these 4 sushi that I couldn't recognise (perhaps my esteemed fellow food bloggers, who are so much more well versed and experienced in sashimi than me, can enlighten me...by just looking...and not tasting!) XD

Out of these four, I did eat one of them...which I think is probably some kind of toro (fatty tuna) sushi. Although it was somewhat like pale pink in colour, I doubt that it was the medium fatty tuna belly or chutoro (and definitely not the super fatty tuna belly or otoro) since these two can be quite pricey (RM24 & RM28 for chutoro and otoro respectively here would cost a third of the platter's price already for just once piece).  But it did have a soft, buttery and melt-in-the-mouth texture with a rich taste (could it actually be chutoro?...nah, impossible!)....anyway, I didn't like it because of the lingering oily taste in my mouth.  Well, if that was indeed toro, at least now I know I don't fancy fatty tuna sashimi....hehe! ;D  Maybe, if it was aburi (flame grilled) toro (just to heat up the oils and melt the fats a tiny bit), that I'm willing to bet I would love :)  The afficianados might think I'm crazy but it's like how I like my beef charred and medium rare...but not rare!

So, what were the rest of the sushi?  I'm hoping you can tell me.  When I'm at the market, I can't even recognise our local whole fish (except for a few obvious ones) let alone these already sliced up ones.  Could it be hotate, hamachi or kampachi/kanpachi (yellowtail) or tai snapper sashimi?

When placing our orders, our server was kind enough to alert us to their promotion of Salmon Sashimi @ RM10.

This was definitely a value deal seeing that you get 5 thick slices of salmon sashimi with more than an acceptable degree of freshness and taste.  

If you're not a small-eater (we weren't), the above dishes would probably not fill you up...and that's why this salmon sashimi promotion is a godsend....I suppose you can order more plates of it to fill you up (but we didn't).  So, we came off RM300 poorer but only 80% full! >_<

Orange Juice & Ice Honey Lemon @ RM10 each

My Personal Opinion

There's no denying that the seafood is fresh and top quality, so expect to pay a bit more.  A meal here can easily cost RM200 per person...or more if you want to taste the good stuff.

Certainly not cheap by many's standards, so it's not a place you can visit regularly.....perhaps for those special moments in your life.  

Do I see myself coming back here?  Maybe yes...if I suddenly feel the urge to eat live uni (or talk myself into paying an insanely hefty price for it)....or maybe no...as I may want a different dining experience somewhere else since I have to spend that kind of money.  Having said that, the food is really fresh and good and worthy of revisits...but only if your wallet can handle it....I wish mine could! T_T

Yamaguchi Fish Market
No 16 Jalan Kampong Pandan
55000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9284 6686